01/01/2012 Scrum V

We wonder what will be in store for the regions as the new year starts.

Who will make a name for themselves? Well Gatland's young

stars shine again? And who will step into this man's shoes?

Welcome to Scrum V, a very happy New Year to you all. We have the

thoughts and opinions of Mr Jones, but let's remind you of what has

happened over the festive period. It kicked off on 23rd December when

the Dragons took on the blues and Gavin Henson returned to the fray.

can he reach the line? -- Cuthbert carries on it. The Blues still

pressing. He picks up and plummets over the line, great strength! The

try a stance. Bradley Davies this time. He is going to run with them.

Can he go all the way? He can. That is the score that settles it.

It was the battle to be crowned best in the West on Boxing Day with

the Scarlets looking to exorcise the ghosts of Christmas past.

Shane Williams, oh! Rhys Thomas, he has got them!

then sprang a surprise by making 14 changes. A Dragons team was

determined to reverse a recent a close call. -- modern early

afford. He took three or four steps before he actually took the ball --

charge. -- chance. Jonathan Edwards rounds it off. Excellent counter

attack from the Scarlets. And defences have at last been broken,

a good try. Great hands by the forwards. The two prop forwards.

Newton is in, not selfish, a lovely pass.

That is some boot downfield. Murphy is making good yardage. Thomas has

go back in. Great play by Gavin pass did not region, it is the turn

as a tackle. I would say it was a loose ball, there was no tackle

completed, but the referee does not agree. Great cover, a great tackle

by the second row, day. The referee said he did not stay on his feet. A

carrier, Murphy. The Dragons desperately need points, and they

Scarlets defence. -- he finds a bit of space. He is in trouble. Support

arrives from Jonathan Edwards. Not in time, but the though. The ball,

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 42 seconds

Just that little bit of composure. Burns. With a decent Carey as well.

-- decent carry. Within kicking distance now, that is just what

they have got. Just watch, number eight goes in. He is block of, the

cops one on the chin and heap has to go off for 10 minutes -- he is

Tuilagi. A good interceptor. North is tearing down field. It is all

Evans, not really sure what is happening -- it was a chase by

Robling. As Mr another one. I feel for the kid. -- has missed another

one. He has missed two relatively easy ones. A very big scrum. Well

there! What a kick from Aled Thomas! The format dragon. --

is back to Adam Jones. No slips from the Dragons. Harris. The pass

was asking too much. It has gone for it. The Dragons' last chance

has gone, and the Scarlets, by the It is a huge result, it is a very

difficult place to come. The Dragons played good stuff. We were

confident. The players were spurred on by comments from earlier in the

week and proved their worth. have to stick with our convictions,

we cannot worry about the pressure, we have a decent amount of pressure.

Our defence has been excellent in recent weeks. There are good parts

to our game, we have to make sure they stay in place and develop the

areas we need to work on. fantastic result and one that

vindicated Nigel Davies' selection policy but it is one that the

Dragons should have won. Yes, the Scarlets, on the back of some Pro

12 wins, showing confidence. The Dragons, very few Pro 12 wins and

very little confidence last night. Making too many errors, giving the

ball always. Here we see Sidoli, Owens with a great tackle. He rips

the ball away, and this leads to this great try for the Scarlets.

Lydiate, we know he is one of the best players for the Dragons, he

carries it into contact. Owens, ripping the ball off, relieving the

ripping the ball off, relieving the pressure. This is from a restart.

The Dragons are down in the Scarlets' 22. Phil John, ripping

the ball clean from the tackle. You can't allow those things to happen.

We see great defence from the Scarlets here. 127 tackles

yesterday. Wayne Evans, a nothing kick. We saw a few of those from

the half-backs. This was the end of last season, playing with

confidence, those balls were going to hand. They had the opportunities

to win it and they blew them. This was right at the death, 11 phases,

a pass in front and the game is gone. The loss of Tovey was a big

blow. The Dragons really need to be more precise. Going back to the

Scarlets and Nigel Davies' bold selection policy. He insisted it

was not a second string and these players have as much of a claim as

anyone in the squad. Yes. Nigel was agitated when someone called it the

second string. What you want in your squad is 31st choice players.

I admire the boldness of Nigel. You have got players with a slight

knock, maybe they have played World Cup, looking at six elections,

thinking, should they play? When you have kids -- looking at Six

Nations. When you have kids stepping in and they win... They

have got the win. Nigel isn't a great position. He can put his hand

on the back of the fellers and say, you are not needed this week. The

list is endless and putting pressure on the internationals.

Morgan is the number one in his position, playing out of his skin

at number eight. Eligible for Wales in a fortnight, but there has been

speculation that he has made his mind up and he will opt for England

if he gets caught up. I don't want to speak out of school but I asked

in the question direct. At the end of the day, he is an Englishman. He

lives in Stroud, not far from Wales. But I think if England came calling,

he would go with England first and foremost. Thanks for that. If Ben

Morgan get selected for international honours and chooses

Wales, he will be working with Shaun Edwards. We took the trip

north to look back at the World Cup and Ford to the Six Nations. -- and

The first time we spoke to you on Scrum V since the dramatic World

Cup. A few months down the road now, what are your reflections? Still a

lot of pride at the way the lads performed. Still frustration at

what might have been. Being able Cup final would have been a

tremendous achievement for the whole of Wales and unfortunately,

it was not to be -- being in a World Cup final. What went through

your mind when the red card was brandished? I was frustrated, I

thought it should have been a yellow. I am told, all the other

referees have been told, is anybody's leg goes above, you have

to be sent off, would I think is ridiculous. -- which I think is

ridiculous. Surely a referee of that class, experience, the ability,

should have the scope to make that decision by himself. Is one of the

best referees in the world, he should not have to tell them what

to do in every situation. I think he should have the scope to make

his own mind up. Post World Cup, everyone returned to Wales with

reputations enhanced. You had the target of a number of other

organisations but you stuck with There were a number of reasons, the

speed with which the Welsh Rugby union acted was one of them. My

loyalty to Warren Gatland, he has been a great mentor to me over the

years. And hopefully he will do them to be that. And the people I

have worked with, and the where have been welcomed by the Welsh

nation. My fellow players and -- my fellow coaches and the players have

been very receptive to my coaching style. I feel very much at home.

Are you excited by the prospect of what is to come? A lot has been

said about Wales having the youthful squad. So these guys could

be peaking at the right time in four years' time. Let's hope so. If

they can keep themselves injury- free, God willing, they have got a

great attitude, these guys are great to coach, they want to be

good. They're doing all the right things at the moment. Going into

the Six Nations, there is expectation upon us. I have always

said that the Welsh team are better when they are under pressure. And

there is pressure on us to perform in this Six Nations. Every weekend

there is a game coming up. Fingers crossed, nobody gets injured.

Because there is no doubt that over the last few years, we have been

hit more than some other nations with injuries. Hopefully we can

keep that to a minimum, and really going to the Six Nations with some

confidence. That little bit of pressure will be good for us.

suppose the inevitable consequence of a successful World Cup will be

that clubs will be looking at players in a different way. As one

of the coaches of the national side, does that concern you? In an ideal

world, they would all be playing in Wales. But as we all know, it is

not an ideal world. I was thinking during the World Cup, people like

Luke Charteris, two years ago, they were not superstars, they probably

would not have got an offer from France, but these are guys are

going to be looked at from a one. People like Gethin Jenkins, Adam

Jones, probably coming towards their lost contract, these kind of

guys may unfortunately at some time leave. But conversely, people like

Gethin Jenkins leaving, could that open up a place for more young

Welsh players?. Another thing which has been commented on extensively

has been the fitness of the Wales squad, largely because of these now

legendary camps in Poland. I hear you're going back there before the

Six Nations, how did that idea go down? You will have to ask them, if

you asked me, it is going down well, I have been that many times, I will

be applying for Polish citizenship! I love going to training camps. It

is a mixture of aerobics as well as strength and power. It was very

beneficial for us going into the World Cup. Hopefully it will give

us a bit of an edge, and we want to get to the same levels that we got

to in the World Cup. Whether we can get that to that absolute level in

six or seven days, I'm not sure. But it will definitely be

beneficial for the Six Nations anyway. Going into the new year,

any resolutions? Win the Six Nations. Simple as that. He looks

confident, doesn't he? Shaun Edwards mentioned it himself, Wales

will be favourites, at least joint favourites, in the eyes of many. He

also said, we perform better when we are under pressure. How

difficult Willerby to recapture the spirit of the World Cup? It is a

psychological challenge for them. The players need to have the same

confidence, but they need to realise what they will be up

against. It is almost like a second-season syndrome. For example,

Heaslip of Ireland, he did not care too much about Toby Faletau six

months ago, but now, I'm sure he will. Ireland will be hurting from

the World Cup. So, there's some big challenges. Managing the psychology

of the players will be the challenge, keeping the confidence,

but also, I agree with what Shaun Edwards said, we are often better

as underdogs, unfortunately, fighting nayland tooth. If we do

that, and get a good start against Ireland, we can win the Six Nations.

-- tooth and nail. The coaching set-up has got a settled look about

it now, all of them having resigned for another four years. Conversely,

half of the teams have got new coaching regimes, like England and

Italy and France as well. Yes, France, for sure, needed someone,

and Philippe will do a fantastic job, we know that. France has got a

fantastic pool of players. They have just got to select the right

players, and they will be a challenge. They will be playing at

another level for the new coach. England, taking everything which

happened off the field to one side, they finished top of their group,

they lost in the quarter-final in a game which they could have won and

other day to a team which went to the final. It is not a massive

crisis, like everybody is talking about. The new coach, Stuart

Lancaster, a smart guy. They will be a big challenge for everybody at

Twickenham. It is going to be a really interesting tournament.

mentioned Ireland, the Six Nations is always about momentum, that

first match against Ireland will be really important in Dublin. Those

Irish lads, every morning they have woken up since the World Cup and

looked at themselves in the mirror, I'm sure they have been thinking

about the challenge of Wales first up. It is a huge challenge. The

first game is so important in the Six Nations. Thank you very much.

There has been another Welsh derby today, the Ospreys welcoming the

Blues to the Liberty Stadium. It marked a return for Gavin Henson

for the first time since his controversial departure in October

the Quinton -- in the Blues line-up from their last game. Much of the

attention will focus on Gavin Henson. For the Ospreys, good news

in that both Adam Jones and Shane Williams have passed fitness tests,

and take their place in the team, hoping to bring to an end a losing

run of three matches. They look for a gap down the left-hand side, it

reaches Cuthbert, who kicks back infield, but Morgan can counter-

attack! It is a lovely run. He's going on his own! And it is Peter

mate who rescues the Blues. But that was a beautiful run from

Matthew Morgan. A little bit of a slip by Gavin Henderson, much to

the delight of the crowd. But he has got support here. One man

outside him. He breaks inside into the 22. Lloyd-Williams, to

Molitikia. Tito comes on a charging run, but did he lose the ball?

Gavin Henson, counter-attacking. And look at him chasing up. He had

support from Xavier Rush, Cuthbert was outside as well. Gavin Henson

would have enjoyed that. The couple of metres inside the Blues 22. It

goes over the top of everybody. Molitikia cannot get hold of it.

This is a great run from the open- side flanker. He needs support.

Josh Navidi finally gets Collard. The tackle comes in from Jones.

They need fast ball. Yapp arriving now. They're just outside the

Ospreys 22. Yapp picks up, slipped the ball back. But that's great

defensive work from the Ospreys. But what a run this was from Josh

Navidi. From just outside his own 22, crossing the halfway line, and

for a minute, I thought he might go all the way. Typically, Tommy Bowe

attacking opportunity. They come right. Out it goes to the right.

Can he get there? I think he might have got over the line. Initially,

the two Samoans I think, and Tommy Bowe just about made it. Tom Isaacs

did ever so well, as did Ashley Beck, and Bowe just about made it.

Paterson involved. Dan Parks goes for the drop goal. Has he

Ospreys, and they win a penalty. A crucial one, you would have to say,

at this stage of the game. Can he be a hero for his team? It is a

be a hero for his team? It is a good one. They're in the lead.

Blues back line is full of internationals, and we were very

pleased to keep them out. This team does not lack in spirit. We are

disappointed, we thought we have managed to get back into it at

half-time, we were starting to get into the game. And then we had a

couple of injuries in the second half, and we were unable to finish

offer opportunities. The Ospreys are very good at the breakdown.

They were able to turn the ball over at crucial times. There were

two other games today in the RaboDirect Pro12. Leicester kept

their title drive going. The Scarlets and the Blues are both now

within touching distance of the play-off places, but the Dragons

really need to start winning if they are to climb the ladder. So, a

close encounter there this afternoon at the Liberty Stadium,

but a welcome victory for the Ospreys. Yes, they have been really

good in the Pro12 this year. That was a dogged performance, good

substitutions, nice to see young Matthew Morgan plane, he always

looks like he can bring something to the game. A good substitution,

with Dan Parks coming on, to bring the Blues back into the game. But

it was a very, very important win for the Ospreys. A man who has

already developing a good reputation, Liam allure -- Matthew

Morgan was outstanding again today. They have got lots of good players

coming through. Over the Christmas period, they have been outstanding.

It is great to see all the players coming through. And lots of them

are under 24. And a certain Gavin Henson, what did you make of him?

He showed touches of class, we know what he is about. He looks fit. The

kick and collecting the high ball, he runs nonchalantly, but I'm sure

he's going very fast. He's very hard to put down. For Gavin Henson,

it is just about him, what he wants, because he has got as much ability

as any rugby player in the world. Several big names have been linked

to the Ospreys head coach job. Do you fancy it? It is nice to be

linked, but I have got the six nations coming up, and I'm looking

forward to that. That is where my focus is right now.

announcement itself, give us an idea from the perspective of a

coach, what effect will it have on the playing squad? Will be

unsettling? I don't think so. I think Shaun Edwards has got the

major role with the team. It might have a positive effect. Players

might be thinking, is Jonathan Humphreys going to move up? Who

will be coming in? Everybody might have to up their game a bit. But I

think they're all working hard. They have had a couple of defeats

recently. But there is no lack of effort in that team. They lacked

direction a couple of times away to the Scarlets. Thanks for your